We Are Arabbers

Screening Time:
Friday, May 6, 3:30 PM
Charles Theatre 2

Saturday, May 7, 4:00 PM
Charles Theatre 2

Director: Scott Kecken & Joy Lusco Kecken

Cast: Walter “Teeth” Kelly, Keith “Superstar” Brooks, Paul “Hottentot” Watkins, George "Blue" Kellum, Eugene "Fatback" Allen, Donald "China" Waugh, Donald "Jr." Savoy, Benjamin "Winfield" Meekins, Charles Blakey, Charles "Slim" Gough, Leonard Benson, Albert "Bull" Ennis, William "Pistol" Brown, William "Papa" Dennis, William Walker, Kevin "Pop" Baker, Donald "Man Boy" Savoy Sr., Donald "Little Jr." Savoy III, Steve Blake, John "Jack Greenberg" Walker, "Little John" Gladney, Ophas "Bo" Allen

Country: U.S.
Year: 2004
Running Time: 81 minutes
Format: video

Long before the creation of automobiles and supermarkets, the streets of American cities were alive with peddlers, hawkers, and hucksters.  A holler or song would announce available goods and services, and customers would flock to horse-drawn carts to make that day's purchase.  In most cities, the modern day Ice Cream truck is the most similar convenience keeping the tradition alive.  In Baltimore, however, horse-drawn carts still roam the streets peddling fruit and vegetables, the salesmen announcing their presence with a holler.  They are known as "Arabbers" and they are a tradition threatened with extinction.  Seven years in the making, We Are Arabbers is a documentary about the remaining handful of Arabbers struggling to keep their heritage alive.  Journey through the backstreets of Baltimore and witness the day-to-day operations of Arabbers, from supplying their carts with fresh produce, to taking care of their horses, stables, and carts, to battling bureaucracies intent on putting an end to the Arabbers' way of life.

-- Skizz Cyzyk

Presented By: Scott Kecken & Joy Lusco Kecken

Biography:  Husband and wife team, Scott Kecken & Joy Lusco Kecken, have made at least three films together; We Are Arabbers; Louisville (starring Andre Braugher); and Woman Hollering Creek (featuring Larry Gilliard, Jr.).  Scott is a Villa Julie faculty member and a founding member of Baltimore's CAmm (Creative Alliance Movie Makers).  Joy is a story editor for HBO's "The Wire," and was a freelance writer for "Homicide: Life on the Street."